Trade Grades
Timberwolves get: SG Gary Neal, 2nd round pick
Hornets get: PG Mo Williams, SF Troy Daniels
This is a nice deal for Charlotte. With PG Kemba Walker out for about another month, the Hornets simply could not rely on PG Brian Roberts and the disappointing SG Lance Stephenson for ball-handling duties if they had any hope of making the playoffs. Williams ranks in the top 15 amongst all players in assists with 6.4 per game, and 12 points and 1.5 threes don’t hurt either, neither does his 52 point outburst earlier this season. Williams will assume the starting point guard role for the duration of Walker’s injury, and will also fight for more minutes in the backcourt even when Walker returns. However, dealing away a three-point shooter in Neal, who is averaging 9.5 points and 1 three a game, just didn’t seem to make much sense, especially on a team devoid of perimeter threats. Neal would be of little use to the Timberwolves’ young squad, so it’s not as if President Flip Saunders wouldn’t pull the trigger if Neal wasn’t involved. He could have been necessary to even out Williams’ contract and make the finances of the deal work, but there had to be less-important players that could have been shipped to Minnesota in order to make this deal work, especially when you consider how important Neal was in stepping up during SG Lance Stephenson’s disappointing year. Still, it’s not as if Neal was a star, or even a starter, and it is possible that young SF Troy Daniels, acquired in this deal, can replace Neal as a perimeter threat. Averaging 0.7 threes in just 7.3 minutes per game, it will be interesting to see if Daniels can even come close to maintaining those per-minute stats if handed a larger role. Also, only giving up a second-round pick for a player of Williams’ caliber has to be considered a win.
Grade: B+
Timberwolves get: SG Gary Neal, 2nd round pick
Hornets get: PG Mo Williams, SF Troy Daniels
This is a nice deal for Charlotte. With PG Kemba Walker out for about another month, the Hornets simply could not rely on PG Brian Roberts and the disappointing SG Lance Stephenson for ball-handling duties if they had any hope of making the playoffs. Williams ranks in the top 15 amongst all players in assists with 6.4 per game, and 12 points and 1.5 threes don’t hurt either, neither does his 52 point outburst earlier this season. Williams will assume the starting point guard role for the duration of Walker’s injury, and will also fight for more minutes in the backcourt even when Walker returns. However, dealing away a three-point shooter in Neal, who is averaging 9.5 points and 1 three a game, just didn’t seem to make much sense, especially on a team devoid of perimeter threats. Neal would be of little use to the Timberwolves’ young squad, so it’s not as if President Flip Saunders wouldn’t pull the trigger if Neal wasn’t involved. He could have been necessary to even out Williams’ contract and make the finances of the deal work, but there had to be less-important players that could have been shipped to Minnesota in order to make this deal work, especially when you consider how important Neal was in stepping up during SG Lance Stephenson’s disappointing year. Still, it’s not as if Neal was a star, or even a starter, and it is possible that young SF Troy Daniels, acquired in this deal, can replace Neal as a perimeter threat. Averaging 0.7 threes in just 7.3 minutes per game, it will be interesting to see if Daniels can even come close to maintaining those per-minute stats if handed a larger role. Also, only giving up a second-round pick for a player of Williams’ caliber has to be considered a win.
Grade: B+